Back to the Dark Ages

The Vatican has done far more than set back Vatican/Jewish relations. It has made itself look like it is living in the darkest of ages.

Pope Benedict XVI has reinstated as a bishop a man who both denies the Holocaust and suggests that 9/11 was an American plot. He has done so, it is reported, in order to strengthen relations with a renegade segment of the Catholic Church. This is one of those inexplicable moves that has left many people asking "Have they no decency?" A more basic and, possibly even more appropriate question would be. "Have they no common sense?"

A number of commentators have observed that this will "complicate" Vatican-Jewish relations and will make it more difficult for Israel and the Vatican to come to an agreement about a papal visit in the near future. All this may be true, but that is an exceptionally narrow way of looking at the implications of this move. Simply put, it makes the Vatican look as if it is once again living in the most unenlightened of ages.

Holocaust denial is an explicit form of antisemitism. It has no purpose but to inculcate contempt for Jews. According to deniers Jews use the Holocaust to win the world's sympathy and, in the course of so doing, win reparations from Germany and political support for Israel. Such a charge, based as it is the imagery of money and political manipulation, hearkens back to traditional antisemitic stereotypes. Why a pope would want to give support to such a movement is baffling. More baffling, however, is why a pope would want to associate the Vatican with someone who preaches lies and manipulations of history.

The Vatican has associated itself with a body of lies.

In 2000 I spent ten weeks in a British court because Holocaust denier David Irving charged that I had libeled him by calling him a denier and an antisemite. My legal team traced Irving's comments and claims about the Holocaust backed to their sources. We followed the footnotes. In every case we found some form of invention, manipulation, distortion, and deletion. The documents that he claimed "proved" that the Holocaust did not happen did no such thing. His wrongs were so egregious that the judge, in a sweeping condemnation of Irving, used language not often heard in a British legal decision. Irving, the judge wrote, "perverts," and "distorts." His statements about the Holocaust were "misleading," "unjustified," "a travesty," and "unreal."

But there was more to it than just that. This was not happenstance or a series of improbable mistakes. Irving's "falsification of the historical record was deliberate and ... motivated by a desire to present events in a manner consistent with his own ideological beliefs even if that involved distortion and manipulation of historical evidence."

Holocaust deniers rely on a merry-go-round of "I will cite you and you will cite me." Irving's claims about the Holocaust are either drawn whole cloth from other denier or parroted by other deniers, such as Bishop Williamson. Deniers have no independent proof on which to rely because there is none. The Vatican has associated itself with a body of lies.

But the reinstated bishop does not just deny the Holocaust. He also claims 9/11 was staged by America as a pretext to invade Afghanistan. The linkage between the two sets of denial is, of course, not happenstance. Basic to 9/11 denial is the charge that four thousand Jewish workers in the World Trade Center were warned to stay home that day. In fact, about 500 Jews were among the victims. That is over 15% of the total, a number consistent with the Jewish population of the New York metropolitan area. Moreover, how could so many people be told anything and thousands more not hear about it?

In short, both these claims are not just malicious forms of antisemitism but they are completely illogical. They would be laughable were it not for the tragedies they address.

In embracing Bishop Williamson the Vatican has done far more than set back Vatican/Jewish relations. It has made itself look like it is living in the darkest of ages. One awaits a pronouncement that it is heresy to believe that the earth revolves around the sun or didn't the Vatican already once do that?

The opinions expressed in the comment section are the personal views of the commenters. Comments are moderated, so please keep it civil.

Visitor Comments: 89

(88)
Deborah,
January 16, 2017 1:20 PM

Uncomfortable Truths

The Vatican has a deep-rooted history in anti-Semitism and anti-Judaism, something it is trying desperately hard to address.

(87)
Anonymous,
April 10, 2011 7:44 AM

Who Cares

What is the obsession with "strengthening ties between Israel and the Pope," and why do some Jews even care what the pope says or whom he appoints for whatever position. Besides for a select few wannabe celebrity Jews who need to feed their low self-esteem with photo ops, nobody really cares about the Vatican, as long as they don't try to convert us.

L.S.,
April 28, 2011 8:38 PM

Incorrect, it DOES matter

Excuse me, but ONE BILLION people in the world are Catholic. Who the Pope is and what the Vatican says are of paramount importance to the Jews, as it would be rather detrimental to us as a people if one billion people were anti-Semitic. Despite how hard some Jews try to live in a bubble, the fact of the matter is, we do not live in a bubble and the outside world affects us--this is the reality.

(86)
rene,
March 12, 2009 8:33 PM

the vatican in eretz israel !!

i just hope that bibi does not have an open door policy towards this pope or any other catholic official,they have murdered our people from the beginning.the vatican just wants an embassy in eretz israel !!!they need this to legitemize their idolatrous religion !!!!! if, we let the vatican in our land we will not be able to remove it. we have enough troubles we dont need anymore!!!!!!

(85)
Pamela,
February 28, 2009 2:34 PM

Vatican does the right thing

I have just read an article in One News Now which says the Pope has told Williamson his "apology" is insufficient, and that he cannot serve in the Catholic clergy.
I am neither a Catholic nor a Jew, but I pray that all of us can unite against the heinous doublespeak of Holocaust deniers.
But I have a question? Where is the Jewish outrage against the $900M that the U.S. Government is about to give for Gaza "reconstruction"? Who is telling the truth about the Obama administration to all those gullible little old ladies in Florida who voted for him, thinking he was a champion for Israel when he absolutely is not? I'm astounded.

(84)
Olina,
February 27, 2009 6:09 PM

His apology was a farse

This bishop made a formal "apology" for his comment, but the vatican said it was not sufficient to restore him his place in their church. I have to agree-he never said that he changed his mind. Instead, he said he wouldn't have made the comment if he knew the ruckus it would cause (how heartfelt!) like making a public slip up was worse than believing and propagating a malicious lie. The vatican only asked the bishop to recant due to pressure from the media-if it had a problem with this guy they wouldn't have chosen him in the first place. This is all just a splash from the stronger wave of Anti-Jewish sentiment that keeps getting bolder.

(83)
Ronni,
February 16, 2009 12:34 PM

Huh?

Why are we concerning ourselves with the religious appointments that are taking place in the Vatican especially since as Jews we don't believe in the legitimacy of their religion? We should have no say or no concern with what they choose to do. Certainly we can make judgements as in this shows what the pope is really made of if he would think of reinstating such a hateful deceitful person. Say he chose someone who was not a Holocaust denier, are we to give our stamp of approval to that? How can we approve of anything taking place in that church when it's very beliefs deny our own? It would be better just to simply say we are not surprised at this decision as the Vatican has it's own agenda and it's not a Jewish one nor are they overly concerned with us except when they are hoping to convert us or buy more property in Israel.

(82)
Anonymous,
February 13, 2009 3:58 PM

So?

The Catholic Church is rife with theologians who deny many more important events in Jewish history than the Holocaust--namely the Creation, the Mabbul, the Haflagah, the Exodus from Egypt, and the Revelation at Sinai. Why do Jews say nothing about these denials and object only to Holocaust denial? Furthermore it is often the worst offenders of Biblical Jewish history denial who are praised in Jewish media as great philo-Semites. Is Israel's assignment to promote secular ethics or the Noachide laws which presuppose the Torah and Hashem?

(81)
jacobo lashak-korogodsky,
February 10, 2009 2:47 PM

jews today are prove of hashem existence.

mark twain, the american novelists of world fame, was asked ,if hasham exist. HE¨s answer was , jews are the prove that hashem exist.

(80)
RENE,
February 8, 2009 10:39 AM

WE DON`T HIS APPROVAL

WHY ARE WE SO QUICK TO LOOK TO THE ROMAN C C FOR APPROVAL ? , IT WILL BE A GRAVE ERROR TO OPEN AN EMBASSY FOR THE RCC IN JERUSALEM,AS THIS WOULD GIVE THE POPE FURTHER CLOUT AND "LEGITIMACY" THE RCC VIEWS ITSELF AS THE CHOSEN PEOPLE,AND IN THEIR THEOLOGICAL WORLD VIEW WE JEWS ARE AN ANOMALY, BECAUSE THERE CANNOT BE TWO CHOSEN PEOPLE ON EARTH AT THE SAME TIME,THIS IS PART OF THEIR THEOLOGY! THIS IS THE REAL REASON ,BEHIND THE INQUISITION ,BECAUSE IN THE RCC WORLD VIEW ,JEWS SHOULD BE ASSIMILATED INTO CHRISTIANITY.THANKS TO HASHEM WE ARE STILL HERE ! LET US NOT BE SO NAIVE !LET US NOT BE FOOLED ! THE BEST WE CAN HOPE FOR IS : LIVE AND LET LIVE , ANYTHING MORE THAN THAT WOULD BE DECIEVING OURSELVES !

(79)
mike,
February 7, 2009 11:09 PM

Vatican about-face

Fortunately, the media was watching and as of today 2-7-09, the Pope has called on the bishop to recant his denial of the Holocaust.....one can hope the Vatican will more strongly denounce such lies....

(78)
M. Adam,
February 7, 2009 3:36 AM

None so blind as . . .

AS it says in the Bible, 'in the last days they would rather believe a lie . . .'
With the 9/11 story, is it another case of which came first? the chicken or the egg ? ? ?

(77)
hebrown,
February 6, 2009 7:16 PM

Catholic & The Popes

Take some time reading & researching
recent history.
Books such as Pius XII and the Third Reich by Saul Friedlander 1966/1964,Hitler's Pope The Secret History of Pius XII by John Cornwell.

the pope has his beliefs and they donot include the jew and they never will. do we really need them? i don't believe we do.

(74)
White Elk Clearwater,
February 5, 2009 12:34 PM

Not at all surprised

Bob in #68 made an excellent point, yet I will add to it. No one should be the least bit surprised by this heinous base move of this Pope. When was still Cardinal Ratzinger he was the head of the STILL EXISTING Court of the Inquisition, that sits right there in Rome near the Vatican. In many if not most cases the few Catholic churches & monasteries that sheltered Jewish children did so in order to forcibly convert them.

(73)
Al Reiner,
February 5, 2009 10:52 AM

as usual the media is silent???????

(72)
Wm Jas Tychonievich,
February 5, 2009 6:13 AM

Soft on crimethink = mediaeval?

I agree that the Vatican has shown poor judgment here, but its reinstatement of Bishop Williamson is hardly in the spirit of the Dark Ages. The medieval church excommunicated and often executed people for holding "heretical" views such as heliocentrism, but the modern church is making precisely the opposite mistake -- namely, NOT excommunicating someone whose views modern society considers "heretical." The church hasn't returned to the Dark Ages, it's swung too far in the other direction.

(71)
Wolfgang Baacke,
February 5, 2009 3:44 AM

Despite all differences - we are sitting in the same boat

I understand that the fact of Holocaust in former Germany and Europe is a non-erasable horror for everyone, especially for those who lost loved ones by this evil activities or survived it. I talked to survivors and know: This trauma cannot be healed. But look at the Israelian people, despite their experience of Holocaust, they started to build a flourishing and prospering country. They did not look just back (as important this always is to draw conclusions for the future), but they looked forward and started almost from scratch in a more or less desert area, but an area given to them thousands of years ago from God the Almigthy. So this was the only proper place on planet Earth to establish a Jewish state.
To put it with Robert H. Schuller's words: Tough times never last, tough people do.
The accusations between Jews and Christians are not helpful at all, because they diminish our capability to stand and fight against a common enemy: The Islamists. I don't say Muslims, because by far not all Islam believers around the world are enemies of every other religion or society. But the radical Islamists like Hamss, Al Quaida, etc. are. They jointly decided to eliminate Jews, Christians and all western minded people from our planet. They designed a new Holcaust in an even greater dimension and started to act accordingly,
They put us into the same boat.
Okay, then, let's take up the challenge, join despite all differences in mutual respect, and let's fight against our common enemies, wherever they appear to attack our civilization. We should bundle and coordinate our efforts instead of weakening our powers. This is not a call for illegal actions, it is a call for consciously finding a position towards the problem, and build a strong mind to stand jointly the challange and finally win. And it's a call to our delegates in parliament and governments to firmly stand and take appropriate action whenever or wherever necessary.

(70)
Bill Rogers,
February 4, 2009 6:41 PM

Catholicism vs Catholics

I have to admit, I'm an ex-Catholic, but not because I believe all the misconceptions I see in comments here. The Pope may teach one thing, what individual Catholics believe and [ractice is another thing entirely- I was raised in the pre-Vatican II church, and no one I knew worshipped statues, or was anti-semitic- indeed, where I grew up Jews, Catholics and Greeks Orthodox all banded together since they were all snubbed by the Protestants in town- we seemed to have no problem getting along, we learned about one another's beliefs, and while not "converting" anyone or intending to, we respected one another's beliefs. When I read that Cardinal Ratzinger was to become Pope, I knew it boded no good for the church or for anyone else- Pope John Paul II set the church back centuries, now Benedict is continueing the same policy, and with each week, I think you'll see more and more of who this man really is. Someone once asked me if I thought the Catholic Church is the "whore of Babylon"- my response was- I don't really know, but if it turns out to be so, I won't be surprised! Yoo would think Catholics would have the sense to stand up and condemn this action and many others done by said church- so please let's place the blme sqaurely where it belongs: on those churches and individuals within them that still seem to regard anti-semitism as an acceptable world-view. It's not! It's time to speak up!

(69)
Jacqueline Mamoni,
February 4, 2009 6:23 PM

Wake up call..

Maybe now is a good time to suggest NOT feeding Fascism here in the USA..A smart start might be to protect your first and second amendments.. Maybe go to: Jews For The Preservation of Firearms Ownership website. It is growing for a reason..If you wont do this at least listen to this video:2A Today for The USA

(68)
bob,
February 4, 2009 4:07 PM

have no illusion the vatican hates Jews

you seem to have this illusion that the Vatican likes Jews...they never have and never will.
They could have excommunicated every catholic in Germany in 39-45..didn't and what a coincidence they sheltered Jews just in case Hitler lost.
Nothing has changed leopards don't change their spots and neither does the Vatican

(67)
Wolfgang Baacke,
February 4, 2009 1:39 PM

Mixing up facts leads to misunderstanding

Today I first heard about the trouble with that Bishop Williamson in the radio news and made some research.
What I found out is: Years ago before the statement of denying the Holocaust was made, that bishop Williamson was relegated from his position and as a member of the Roman-Catholic Church by Pope Johannes Paul II. because of his institution as bishop by Bishop Lefevre. That was illegal according to Roman-Catholic church legislation. His membership in Lefevre's ultra-conservative "Pius-Brotherhood" was also a reason. Even before the Holocaust-denying message was made or at least publicated, Pope Benedict XVI. granted grace to reinstall membership of Williamson in the Roman-Catholic Church. This legal process took some time. Unfortunately, or better for Goodness sake, Williamson denied even the Holocaust in public shortly before his reinstallation became effective.
Pope Benedict XVI. has proven in many respect, that he never attempted to relativate or even to deny the Holocaust. The authorative machinery of the Vatican, of course, meanwhile reacted and Pope Benedict XVI. expects Williamson to publically and honestly revoke his statements on the Holocaust topic. Otherwise reinstallation would be recalled.
Mixing up the grace of reinstallation according to the old case with the actual unacceptable statements on the Holocaust topic puts the Roman-Catholic Church and esp. Pope Benedict XVI. in bad light. All what I read from and about Pope Benedict XVI., to my view, does not justify such a misunderstanding.
To clarify my position:
a) religiously
I am a German Christian, just converting from Protestant to Roman-Catholic.
b) relation to Israel: We have good Jewish friends at Haifa, and of course we fully support Isreal's reaction against Hamas.
c) opinion of Holocaust: This is unfortunately the worst thing ever happened in the history of my people. Born November 1945 in West-Berlin, I had to learn about the Holcaust and to accept it as a historical fact. This led me to respectfully deal with Jewish people as well as other (foreign) people in the world on a vice-versa basis.

(66)
SHR,
February 4, 2009 12:48 PM

...impartial look...

My parents have survived the Holocaust, and there is no question of my feelings to those denying it.
Moreover, the very statement "the recognition of the historical fact of Holocaust" sounds banal, yet outrageous, while there are witnesses still alive, so it is not yet a "fact of history" that may be disputed in any way, it's still the part of our reality (which some prefer to forget, that's true)!
But let's take an impartial look at a core of the matter. Can we really judge the criteria of Roman Catholic interior nominations? That's something we are not quite aware of and they may have very little to do with politics at all and with some clergyman's attitude to Jews in particular. Prof. Lipstadt confounded a few different stories into one to warm up emotions.
We have many serious reasons to claim to Vatican, let's just remember the Pope 'retarded' call for immediate peace in the Holy Land no sooner then the operation in Gaza had begun (I was annoyed, but not astonished)!
But we have no enough reasons to interfere into Catholic Church internal affairs, however odious they may seem "from outside".

(65)
Dagoberto Mensch,
February 4, 2009 10:34 AM

There is proof enough of the Holocaust

The nazis documented everything and several times. They made pictures, films, documents and even marked people with the numbers. There are museums in Jerusalem and several in the USA. And, yes, clearly, deny that it happened is an act of hate against the Jewish people.

(64)
Ashley,
February 4, 2009 3:41 AM

Truth in tefillin

Yosef-Meir - I understand. As a Catholic you leap-frog your way to G-d. I say leap-frog because Catholicism requires you to 'jump over' beliefs that are contradictory. Before connecting to G-d as a Catholic one must accept Jesus was divine. You have to accept that G-d replicated himself in human form for the sake of shedding blood as a sacrifice to 'save' mankind from hell. Which doesn't hold meaning for me. With Judaism connection to G-d is easy. One direct connection through the laying of tefillin. No praying to statues of a dead Jew. No guilt-ridden confessions to a human who thinks he has the power to forgive sin in a little box. Catholics believe that Jews are 'incomplete Christians' and my former priest told me once that Jews light their Shabbat candles as the sun sets because 'Jews must worship in darkness because the have yet to see the light' - totally offensive and ignorant thing to say...

(63)
HR,
February 4, 2009 3:16 AM

The other side of the coin

I have just seen a report on the book by Father Patrick Desbois, "Holocaust of Bullets". Father Desbois has documented sites of mass killings of Jews in the former USSR, especially the Ukraine, and has compiled information from eyewitnesses.
Bless him

(62)
Barb,
February 4, 2009 2:11 AM

Thank you Fr. Herweg for your correction

It makes me sad that anyone would seek to say that the Holocaust never happened. I pray that we never forget the Holocaust and that the church would work to make certain that we remember so that it may never happen again.
Has Pofessor Lipstadt seen Fr. Herweg correction and does she agree with his correction?

(61)
Anonymous,
February 3, 2009 9:12 PM

the expression adding insult to injury was created for the Jewish people

"Why a Pope would want to give support to such a movement is baffling". Why? The Holocaust was the culmination of Christianity and its teachings. So why the surprise? He is only following the historical examples of his predecessors.

(60)
Yosef-Meir,
February 3, 2009 4:36 PM

Make the Move, Ashley

Ashley,
If you revisit this and see this reply, I encourage you to take the final step and explore your connection to Judaism. I, too, was raised Cathoic, realized as an adult that it was non-sensical, and officially joined the Jewish People. There is a home for you here.

(59)
Lange,
February 3, 2009 2:31 PM

A lie remains a lie all the time

I am a German believer- not believer in a men, therefore no church member of that church. Religion is always without truth and peace.The Holy ONE wants relationship nothing less. That church was very often hostile to Israel. If we forgive the sins of others we give the revenge to God. Forgiveness makes a person not tustworthy. That is the case with our relationship, me as a german and you. I love you Israel and am very grateful, that I have a 15 years old friendship with a survivor of Ghetto of Wilna. Be blessed in the name of the Holy One!DORIS

(58)
Fr. Jochanan Herweg,
February 3, 2009 11:51 AM

factual error

Dear Professor Deborah Lipstadt,
I am a catholic priest and I am not a Holocaust denier. I understand your anger about what the Vatican did in this case. But you are making a factual error when you are stating two times in your article that Pope Benedict XVI has reinstated Williamson as a bishop. This is not the case. His excommunication was annuled. This is different from being reinstated as bishop. Williamson can only be a bishop in the Catholic Church when he and the other three change their theological, historical and political statements, especially on judaism and the relationship between church and judaism. The annulment of excommunication is a gesture of good will and the effort of Pope Benedict for reconciliation. He wants to open a door for this extremist group of split off believers, a door for a dialog, a sign that says: The Church is ready to accept you if you change your mind on central questions of catholic faith including the recognition of the historical fact of the Holocaust. As long as these traditionalists do not make this change in their thinking and faith, the gesture of the Pope stays a hand reached out but not taken by them. Only when they are ready to change they can rejoin fully the Catholic Church and be appointed as bishops (not reinstated because they were never legaly "instated" by the Church!).

(57)
David Ben-Ariel,
February 3, 2009 10:52 AM

Mind your own business

Jews and Israelis would do well to condemn the collaborators with the bloody Vatican among them, like Shimon Peres who is undermining Jerusalem for the German-Jesuit EU. Whatever the Roman Catholic Church does is its own affairs, so Jews would do well to mind their own business and if they're really concerned let them move to the Jewish homeland as Judaism calls for.

(56)
Suzanne,
February 3, 2009 10:48 AM

Creed

This is in part about creed, a Bishop is one step closer to being a cardinal and a cardinal is just a step away from being the next Pope. By a Pope that was a member of the Hitler Youth, albeit a non-participating member, this was a very bad move. The Roman Catholic Church has throughout history played in two arenas, one is spiritual, and the other is political. That is fact, and for the first German Pope since WW II to embrace such a Bishop is not a wise political or spiritual move. Pope Gregory has undone a great deal of the work that Pope John Paul II and some of his predisessors had done, in restoring One Holy Catholic Church. It is now gone back to the Roman Catholic Church of Pope Pious.

(55)
Allene Avey,
February 3, 2009 9:28 AM

This is not the first time the Vatican has denied Jews

Read the book "Hitler's Pope". Pope Pius XII, Eugenio Pacelli, was the Pope during WWII. To make a concordant with Germany to save the Catholic Church as the only sanctioned religion in Germany he did NOTHING to stop the holocaust, he even stood by while Roman Jews were rounded up in front of Vatican City and taken to Auswitz (sp?)!! Despite requests on the behalf of the USA and Britain to speak out against the horrors he did nothing to inform his followers of the outrages. He, personally, was an anti-semite. I am an agnostic and read voraciously to gain insight into many, many types of beliefs. After you read this book you'll be amazed that the forgiving Jews could ever even dream of inviting the Vatican to their home country.

(54)
Stephen Norman,
February 3, 2009 5:56 AM

Is concealment of genocide in accord with a "pro-life" claim?!

The church has used excommunication in numerous situations as both a corrective measure and as a distancing technique, but it seems they don't consider Williamson's (and now, apparently, others') public denial of historical genocide to be "important enough." How can they make any claim to be pro-life when they can't even bring themselves to oppose such anti-life behavior with the simplest of tangible actions - maintaining a pre-existing excommunication?

(53)
Dutchboy,
February 3, 2009 3:42 AM

the catholic "church"

deniying the holocaust is minor in comparison to the massive Jew-extermination they themselves have done in past centuries. as you will find out when you look at christian history the catholic church has persecuted both jews and christians ever since their inception in the late 4th century. as jews i would like you to think back to the time when the baptist Roger Williams established Rhode Island as a place of religious freedom where jews and christians could practise their faiths freely for the first time. please know we are youre fellows in this fight against the persecutions from Rome.

(52)
Ashley,
February 3, 2009 2:52 AM

Jewish by Law, Catholic by default

My name is Ashley. I was raised a Catholic but my maternal grandmother told me I was Jewish. She told me she named me Ashley because I am an Ashkenazi Jew. I had no idea what the word 'Ashkenazi' meant but that is my name. The core of Catholicism is 'salvation'. For Jesus to make any sense at all Christians must be 'saved'. Saved from what? I don't know, really, as Catholic doctrine changes about three times each decade. I'm no longer a Christian. I am a Jew without a Hebrew name.

(51)
Marc Milton-Talbot,
February 3, 2009 1:58 AM

The Pope's dubious background

Why would the Pope stand against Holocaust deniers when his own parents allowed him to join the Hitler Youth.He glosses over this awkward little detail in his past with the comment to the effect that every youngster in Germany joined.Not so.The parents of a famous German business magnate who comitted suicide recently steadfastly refused to allow their son to join the Hitler Youth.[The Allies returned their considerable business interests to the family after the War due to this anti Nazi stance.]Hitler was a Catholic and a choirboy it must be remembered.The business magnate's family were Protestants.The Catholic Church's relations with the Nazis,on the other hand, were a little too cosy.

(50)
Anonymous,
February 2, 2009 10:47 PM

So much for any claim to "moral leadership"

Once again the church has belied its touted claim to moral leadership. Instead of reversing a very poor decision with tragic repercussions, instead of making use of a "teaching mopportunity" by holding an unrepentant evil influence like Williamson at arm's length, we hear excuses made in defense of his personal autonomy. The moral relativism in such a stance is shocking. Aside from the sheer human misery and hatred toward others which is part and parcel of W's demented world philospophy, the church doesn't even seem to realize they've just re-injected their own corporate body with this morbid cancer.

(49)
don muntean,
February 2, 2009 8:41 PM

The Church is in denial about its dark history regarding the Jews...Church leaders ought to review its presentation of this history - as evidenced in the apologist presentation of this history one can read from online Catholic encyclopedia under the entry entitled ''Judaism''...they seem to perpetuate the abuse still today with such a public presentation of a skewed past.

(48)
hebrown,
February 2, 2009 7:57 PM

The Dark Ages

Doesn't Pope Benedict XVI
have ties with the old Germany?
If so watch out!
Let us not forget Pope Pius the XII.

(47)
Gloria,
February 2, 2009 7:27 PM

Inquisition

Denying the holocaust is like denying that the Catholic Church's inquisition ever happened. The whole world is and has always been fully aware that the Catholic Church is the most corrupt of all denominations. It is the biggest harlot. It is always involved in political manipulations. All you have to do to prove it is by checking into the Catholic Church history books and museums where instruments of torture are in display.

(46)
Beverly Kurtin,
February 2, 2009 7:17 PM

Reinstatement Deniers?

I’m astonished that even when the facts are clear, when the Pope has reinstated a Holocaust denier, there are people who deny a fact that just happened. How can we possibly expect people not to deny something that happened 60 years ago? I think I’m just going to give up on humanity.

(45)
JOHN DIDIZIAN,
February 2, 2009 6:14 PM

CANNOTcover up truth,with so much evidence

my grandfather escape from turkey,back around,1915,genocide-armenia.com,2-mil)were,murdered&turkish gov.are denieding it to this day,but see it is in the Bible,ECCLESIASTES-12)13-14)read it&believe that GOD will bring all things to past

(44)
Davidben Dorit,
February 2, 2009 4:56 PM

davidgarcia60@gmail.com

The Catholic Church has always being the most violent of all, my great great parents left Spain to save their lives because they were jews, and as soon they arrive to Mexico they encoutered the same problem, they had to change their last name to be abel to live, after several genereations we are back to our roots, I am proud to say that we are jews, we wear our kippas and do Shabbat, and do mitzvot..
David ben Dorit

(43)
Rev. Peter Knehans,
February 2, 2009 3:41 PM

I cannot believe this, as a Christian Zionist

As a pastor in a non-denominational church, I am deeply saddened at this decision. Most of the Christians I have talked to are deeply saddened at this insensative and ethically convoluted decision. I am attempting to build bridges within the JCC and am teaching the Jewish essence of Chrisitanity at my church. I cannot believe the papacy has allowed political profiling to undue Pope John II and his efforts of reconciliation between us. I want to let you know that most non-Catholics see this move as 'one giant step back' for Jewish-Christian relations, and hope a reversal can ensue.

(42)
Selah Sante,
February 2, 2009 2:07 PM

Through out history.

The Catholic priests having been picking on thier Jewish neighbors through out history. Their obviously is a threat to the Catholic faith?

(41)
Sandra Rutkowski,
February 2, 2009 1:14 PM

It really happered

I am 61 yrs old. I had two uncles who told of what went on in the Halocaust. They saw the results first hand.
In the seventies, when I was in my twenties, I was watching a documentary which showed actual footage the Germans themselves filmed, of horrible things that went on. It showed piles of bodies, basically skin over bones, it showed little children innocently walking to their death, It showed the documents of doctors who had broken childrens bones over annd over until they wouldn't heal and other horrible experiments done on children, it show tobacco pauches made of women's breast tissue. It is so horrible what went on 9 I am sorry to be so graphic)and was shocking to watch, but it burned into my memory as I sat there and cried.
The children of today need to be shown this documentary even though it shocks the spirit.It should be mandatory in public schools in the junior or senior years. This is an area skimmed over in schools, I am raising grandchildren and I've looked through their "history" books where history is being rewritten.
The facts are out there.

(40)
Rachel,
February 2, 2009 1:14 PM

Lipstadt and many commenters here don't understand Church policy

As others have commented, the decision by the Vatican is not to bring this one obnoxious character (Williamson) back into the fold, but to re-admit the members of the ultra-conservative group back into communion with the Church. This is a doctrinal issue, not one based on a particular individual's history or politics. As for the commenter who suggested that people should get up and leave their local church if the pastor doesn't condemn Williamson & the Pope -- while individual Catholics may find another parish if they really can't stand their local pastor, most Catholics attend their local parish Church because they are Catholic, not because they like a particular priest. Similarly, as a resident of an area with only one Orthodox synagogue, if we got a rabbi whom I disliked, I would still daven there because it is more important to me to pray to G-d in the appropriate way and to observe Shabbat appropriately.
I wholeheartedly agree, however, that the Vatican and many Catholics "just don't get it" when it comes to matters of their faith that are disturbing to Jews.

(39)
Rory Trup,
February 2, 2009 12:46 PM

Forgive Them, They Know Not What They Do.

Dr. Lipstadt's article is an emotional reaction and unhelpful. Bishop Williamson's group's (Cardinal LeBreuvs?) excommunication was for their adherence to the pre Vatican II "Latin Mass". This Tridentine mass was used by the church for over 400 years and unified all catholics worldwide. Isn't it reasonable to expect that some prefer what they grew up with. Most are probably not crazy. Pope John Paul II discouraged the practice, which is still honored worldwide. Now, Pope Benedict is more open to the Latin Mass. The original uniting was an internal policy move. The Pope probably didn't even know one of the group believed so falsely. Shouldn't the Pope be considered innocent unless proven he selected Bishop Williamson for his twisted Holocaust beliefs. To show readers how inflammitory Dr. Lipstadt's article is she failed to mention that Pope Benedict has already officially rebuked Bishop Williamson. By now this whole situation is most likely a non issue. My advice to all 1-31 commentors (except #18 and #30) is to stop the bigotry towards catholics. Look for evidence of catholic friendship with the same energy you spend on finding or fabricating division, and we will all be a lot happier.
Warm Regards,
RT

(38)
Victor,
February 2, 2009 11:27 AM

There always were conciliating reasons in traditions of catholicism.
Vatican never came forward on the side of minority - he always was on the side of crowd, without depending on that, who rights.
Today, the quantity of catholics falls in the world. On this background expansion of the European states people from islamic countries, them, alien catholic, culture, mentality is frighted by Vatican.
In these terms, statements of representatives of Pope throne are obvious.
They are afraid !

(37)
Shaun,
February 2, 2009 11:24 AM

Why the fuss

Why the fuss if the old man wants to visit Israel just give him a tourist visa. I find it immoral to treat this man or any figure of these churches as important.
If the old man wants to visit Israel let him apply for a visa.
As to him appointing a mad man let him it is their organisation anyway. You think he wants to appease some renegade faction of his organisation or is it the old policy of this oranisations old open Jew hate doctrine? Now for political correctness it is less open. People forget how many people died after some sermon from these peace loving people in the past. He can also be trying to appease the growing Muslim population around the world.
Whatever reason he is just an old man and maybe rather senile too.
I read that one day all the nations will unite to destroy the Jews. In the past they tried force conversion and even if you converted they would still find something against you. They tried starvation by not allowing Jews to work. They enclosed them in Ghettos so that they were already assembled in one place to be massacred with no distinction to sex or age.In the industrial age they tried industrial methods and now they use politics and people's emotions to hate this G-d giving people. The old man's own G-d was a Jew. Of course to them it is history and to many Jews too as some had the cheek to demonstrate openly against Israel defending its people.
Another story I read is that the reason the Jewish people were exiled from there land was because Jew fought Jew.
I personally am not a Jew as I am one of the lost souls still returning to Judaism. Maybe in the past my ancestors were but became molatoes (not sure of the spelling)a Spanish word the Spanish used to describe converted Jews which by the way means pigs.
Let the Rabbis deal with the old man and the visa department if he wants to visit the only refuge of the Jews.

(36)
Evang. Carolyne,
February 2, 2009 11:06 AM

What???

This is to the Catholic person who says that it's not about what is said, it's about sticking to the creed. For a Bishop to state that the holocaust never happened and 9/11 was staged and then be true to the creed of the Catholic Church is like the Priest who sticks to the creed and also molests children on the side. Is is okay? Neither instance is but somehow as long as you abide by the creed you can be accepted. Now I would like to know what is this creed that will allow a person to commit crimes against children and still act in the position of leadership and then a person who wants to rewrite history, and believe me if he states it, he teaches and espouses that kind of talk during services. I'm confused!

(35)
katherine,
February 2, 2009 9:48 AM

Read Fr.Jonathan Morris

It must be very threatening that these crazy people do what they do. If you really want to know the reasoning, instead of taking the delicious and easier route of righteous indignation, you will read what Father Jonathan Morris has written on the topic. The Vatican is NOT taking these nuts "into the fold". He is doing the only thing he can to influence them into changing their positions. He can not "work" with them to do this, if he did not take this action. He has given them conditions under which they can be fully re-instated, among them recanting this ridiculous set of lies they spread. It is the knee-jerk reactions and lack of even trying to understand what others do and why they do it that perpetuates this constant lack of peace. The Vatican is not crazy, they are at least trying to arrange a turn-around. If you don't trust this, then perhaps you should investigate your own motives and your propensity to be unjust. I'm tired of people thinking that all of us Jews are just angry people who always have to have our way. At least LISTEN to others, and then with peace in your own heart address the issue.

(34)
wayne,
February 2, 2009 9:32 AM

16 Elona, Hitler was no atheist.

Hitler was not an atheist. He was raised and was always a Catholic. Hitler had close ties with the Vatican. Google "Ustashi" and you will see how close their murderous relationship was. It is one of the reasons today for the hatred between Chrisians and Muslims in the Balkans.

(33)
Italian reader,
February 2, 2009 9:28 AM

I agree with commentator #30

As he wrote:"The excommunication and reinstatement of this bishope had nothing to do with his view on this subject. THe Pope reinstated a group that was separated for COMPLETELY unrelated reasons and didn't take into account political view when reinstating."

(32)
Wayne,
February 2, 2009 9:27 AM

Catholic violence

How can anyone subscribe to the beliefs of this church considering the violent, corrupt background this church has? People will say that the violence was done centuries ago, but that is not true. Google "Catholic murders" and see how many Catholic priests have been convicted of war crimes in African genocides. This is not an organization I would want to be connected to in any way.

(31)
Hannah Tova,
February 2, 2009 8:05 AM

The judgement

We are all talking about this latest papal decision. I have commented on another Jewish website about this and want only to say that it's time the Catholic church chose its popes for spiritual rather than political reasons. If they did so, perhaps there would be seated at the "holy see" a pope who judged by the ethics and morals of God's teachings instead of the world's acceptance.

(30)
Catholic,
February 2, 2009 8:01 AM

Goodbye

I, like most Christians, support Israel and was happy to get this newsletter but after reading this ill-informed article and the ridiculous comments that followed I realize that this is a Jewish only site. Before I go let me clear up a few things. Priests/bishops can think whatever they want on non-dogmatic issues and remain in communion with the Church. They could believe the moon was made out of blue cheese as long they agreed with the tenants of Catholicism. The excommunication and reinstatement of this bishope had nothing to do with his view on this subject. THe Pope reinstated a group that was separated for COMPLETELY unrelated reasons and didn't take into account political view when reinstating. There are communist, fascist, democratic, etc... priests. As the Vatican official said when asked about this."He has the right to be wrong." ANd he is VERY wrong and I'm sorry if his views taint yours about the RCC. This was a sideshow and had nothing to do with the real story of the Catholic Church reuniting with the "Old Catholic Church". One of their bishops was crazy but be honest with yourselves and look into it. The reinstatement had nothing to do with this.

(29)
Inez Medellin Dunker,
February 2, 2009 7:52 AM

my facts

Even today there are many who claim the holocaust never happened. My son went to Germany with a friend to visit the area and asked someone where were the gravesites and quickly others told him that the holocaust never occurred. There was no such thing. Imagine that! I had told him stories and shown him pictures and books, and he comes back telling me this. Although I know he believes me since it is hard to falsified the truth which stands before one. Evidence.
How cruel people really, to say it never happened.
Rachel.

(28)
david barker,
February 2, 2009 7:52 AM

cathlic lies

My Father always used to say that the catholic church was the most corrupt organization in the World, and I don't disagree with him. Dad was always right.

(27)
Alix brito,
February 2, 2009 7:49 AM

Not quite true -

this man was not reinstated as a bishop. He was unexcommunicated. His elevation as bishop was never recognized by the Vatican and still nor recognized. He is considered a kook ans a prelate in Rome denounced his statements about the Holocaust as "evil" - which they are. What is frightening is the possibility of the Vatican being subjected to the whims of the Islamofascists in Italy but already a backlash has begun against that.

(26)
Beverly Kurtin,
February 2, 2009 12:28 AM

Zeig...Who?

One thing I have learned from some Christians, they will bend the truth whenever it is convenient for them to do so. On another Jewish site, I have had an ongoing discussion with an evangelical Christian who is as ignorant as they come. Please understand I am not anti-Christian, I have too many wonderful Christian friends to ever lump them all together. But this gentleman is trying unsuccessfully to convince me that Catholics are not Christians that all the evil things that Christians have done to us were done by Catholics, not Christians.
I’m reminded of a certain Roman Catholic cleric by the name of Martin Luther who got it into his head that the reason that Jews refused to worship Jesus was that the Pope was in the way. So he went to various Jewish communities and said, “Lookie what I’ve done, I got rid of the Pope, now you can covert.” When the Jews rebuked him and his new brand of Christianity, he became one of the biggest Jew-haters in history. Take a look at every brand of Christianity that tried to convert us and were rebuked instantly turned from loving us to hating us with a viciousness of a Pit Bull.
Now I have to say that most Pit Bulls I’ve met are wonderful animals, but sometimes some of them give the breed a bad name. Christians who have turned against us when we said, “Folks, you just don’t understand that Jesus didn’t do what the Messiah was supposed to do so we will continue to refuse to worship him” are just like Pit Bulls. In an instant, they turn on us and want to tear us to pieces.
Now along comes what was a fairly nice guy who thinks that he is incapable of making errors of any kind and he forgives a few Pit Bulls. What are we to make of it?
UNDER NO CIRCUSMSTANCES SHOULD THIS GUY BE PERMITTED TO ENTER ISRAEL, PERIOD. He has become a Pit Bull in the guise of a friend. Once bitten, twice shy comes to mind as does, fool me once, shame on me, fool me twice, shame on me. (Former President Bush could never get that right ) If Israel has an ambassador to the Vatican, he or she should be pulled out of there at once and the Pope should be told in no uncertain terms that he is not welcome in Israel nor among any other group of Jews in the world.
If the Pope still thinks the world is flat, show him a picture of Earth from space.
I want to assure any Christian friends that I have zero against them and will continue to love them as I always have. It is this one guy who has gone over the edge I am upset with.

(25)
Mitch,
February 1, 2009 7:55 PM

Middle Ground

1) Denying that the holocaust took place is one thing. It makes no sense and is antisemitic.
2) The Pope's removal of Williamson's excommunication does not mean that he agrees with Williamson's views. He has a duty as the leader of a large religious group to be as inclusionary as possible.
We can draw an analogy: when you have a mentally ill sibling who goes around insulting people, do you publicly repudiate the sibling? Expressing sympathy for a person does not mean that you agree with the person's actions.

(24)
Mama5,
February 1, 2009 7:04 PM

Well Said!

I don't need to beat a dead horse by commenting on anonymous #2's remarks - just pick up a newspaper! I was saddened and enraged by an acknowledgement or, rather, and embracing of someone so dangerous as Bishop Williamson back into the church. I know that many Catholics now support Israel - whatever their reasons may be - and that's a good thing for Israel overall. We need all the friends we can get. The Pope has made a critical error and I hope that the Israeli government demands a public acknowledgement, at a minimum, of the 6 million murdered innocents who longed to step foot in Eretz Yisroel and never got the chance. It is an affront to their memory to allow him or anyone affiliated with the Vatican to step foot in our holy land without such an acknowledgement - since it's unlikely he'll reverse his decision on bringing the bishop back into the church. I hope the Israeli government will stay strong now and not back down!

(23)
Rachel Garber,
February 1, 2009 5:50 PM

They haven't changed, what else is new

I'm not surprised, the cardinals elected one of the most conservative popes in recent memory. The Catholic church continues to maintain that they are the new Jerusalem. They refuse to return art that was stolen from Holocaust victims, they claim it was paid for, right show us the receipts. They need to give it to the Israel museum. They refuse to really take responsibility for their part in the Holocaust, insist on canonizing a Catholic saint who was really killed because she was born Jewish, they talk about canonizing Pope Pius. They kidnapped Jewish kids who were given to Catholics to keep them safe, then baptized them, and then refused to give them back to their families because they were baptized. Anytime anything is said in criticism, they claim they are being attacked, even Obama was criticized for his position on abortion, they interpret as an attack on Catholicism. Everyone isn't Catholic ya know, some people have other religious beliefs about abortion, it isn't all about them. Even one of the former popes met with Arafat, shaking his hand for public consumption. Every Catholic doesn't agree with the pope, but to have a person of his stature welcome a Holocaust denier back into the fold is just beyond belief. As is title of her book. Nothing surprises me about the Catholic hierarchy, they haven't changed, and despite their protests, I don't believe they ever will, they show is in their willingness to distort the suffering of the Israeli Jews, and their insistence that the Arabs are the victims. He claims this is to unite Catholics, really why would they want to associate with a Holocaust denier?

(22)
Mark Milburn,
February 1, 2009 5:28 PM

This one is worth a "watch and wait" approach

Today's Italian newspaper La Stampa reports what Vatican Insiders have known all along. The Vatican may make a condition of ending the schism a written affirmation, by the SSPX, of the Second Vatican Council's documents on Ecumenism and Religious Liberty.
This amounts to saying that it may well be that Benedict has all the cards in his hands and when the SSPX comes over they will do so at the price of renouncing the "Blood Libel" and all their attachments to negationism and anti-Jewish Catholicism.
La Stampa reports,
"In the "anti-schism plan", the feast of the Purification of Mary (February 2) had been informally indicated as the "key date", but the reestablishment of full communion and the removal of the suspension "a divinis" could require a "supplementary clarification" between the Holy See and the stronghold of Ecône, particularly on the Declaration "Nostra Aetate", dedicated by the Council to the dialogue with the Jews, the Muslims, and other faiths. The "full recognition" of Vatican II remains the knot to be untied by Papal mediator [Cardinal] Darío Castrillón Hoyos.

(21)
Mordechai Shuali,
February 1, 2009 4:22 PM

Sunrise, Sunset

Not to belittle the very frightening ideas mentioned in the article, I want to add that according to Einstein's (Another German) Theory of Relativity our "knowledge" of the sun being in the center of the universe – the Earth and the other planets revolving around it – is all relative. The truth may be, as the sages in the Talmud say, that the sun rises and sets and that the Earth is in the middle, but our relative positions or the way our very limited scientific equipment operates, "see" it otherwise. All that aside, it is fair to say the British court’s ruling applies to the Pope’s decision as well, it "perverts," and "distorts." His ruling is "misleading," "unjustified," "a travesty," and "unreal."
Jules Verne may have thought we would be able to travel back or forth in time by now, but we would return. Will we wake up from this nightmare to find out it was all a dream, or is the nightmare only the beginning?

(20)
JGrady,
February 1, 2009 4:22 PM

Precision in Terms

I think it would be useful if the author were more precise with her terms. A lot is at stake in the way she chooses to phrase things. For example, the author states that the Vatican "reinstated as a bishop..." While it may not seem like a huge difference, the above is very innacurate. The Vatican lifted the excommunication of the the Pius X bishops. While it may seem a little too subtle, there is a quite significant difference in saying "you're back communion" and "you are not not in communion." The Society of St. Pius X is still considered illicit, it's priests are banned from celebrating the sacraments and Catholics are forbidden to receive their sacraments. Let's be honest, Bishop Williamson is way out there in right field. I have a great deal of trouble connecting the dots between his ludicrous statements and the actual beliefs of the Holy Father, dots that the author seems all too eager to connect. I may be so bold as to propose that the Prof. Lipstadt takes a tone that is all to eager to condemn the Catholic Church while ignoring the intracies and subtleties of the situation. She is absolutely right in condemning anti-semitism... but what I find baffling is her willingness to engage in anti-catholicism on her quest to do so.

(19)
Anon,
February 1, 2009 4:22 PM

Further facts

For the Pope's condemnation of anti-semitism see his Meeting with Representatives of the Jewish Community in Paris on Friday 12 Sept 2008.
For his complete repudiation and condemnation of holocaust deniers see Catholic News Service, January 27th 2009. It is perfectly clear who he is talking about.

(18)
Anon,
February 1, 2009 3:48 PM

Lets stick to facts

The Pope has not reinstated Williamson, he is not allowed to function as a bishop, to ordain, to absolve, or to perform marriages. All that has happened is that the group to which he belongs is no longer excommunicated. The Superior of the group to which he belongs has forbidden him to speak on any political or historical subject. The Pope has made it quite clear that he rejects utterly Williamson's ignorant and evil views. I would expect a responsible historian like Dr Lipstadt to be aware of these facts. For the sake of one nutter the Pope did not wish to exclude about a million people few of whom share Williamson's views. Williamson is in any case not a historian, having studied English Literature to first degree level only.
Having myself carried on a campaign against Williamson in many a Catholic blog, I would be sad if he would cause a rift between between two religions which I respect, Catholicism and Judaism. If ,and he has not yet done so ,Williamson accepts the authority of the Pope then he will be fully subject to papal discipline. Dominus vobiscum. Shalom.

(17)
Anonymous,
February 1, 2009 3:39 PM

How Will the Parishes Respond?

I hate to say it but anti-Semitism is growing among Roman Catholics. How parish churches respond to this latest outrage will be very telling, indeed.
Every parish priest should condemn Williamson. If they don't then every Catholic should walk out of their parish church and never return. To do otherwise they are giving their approval to holocaust deniers and anti-Semites.
Frankly, I don't know how Catholics can continue to give tithes each week knowing that the money was/is used to pay off the families of sex abuse victims.
So in a nutshell, any Catholic that remains in the church with all of its sex abuse, pay offs, anti-Semitism and holocaust denying is condoning these crimes and sins.
Signed,
A former Catholic who hasn't stepped foot in a Catholic church in 7 years and never will.

(16)
Elonna,
February 1, 2009 3:14 PM

Hitler was an atheist

Actually, Adolf Hitler was an atheist. He had no love for the pope. There's even a Hitler Youth song that went "We don't need the pope or Rabbi", something along that line. Think I read that somewhere in Aish! But yeh, the Catholic church is guilty of persecution against Jews and others. I'm amazed they are still in business! I'm from upstate NY, and many Catholic churches have been closing in this area due to lack of funds. Slowly but surely, people are waking up and turning away from the Catholic church. The new Pope is doing a good job shooting his own foot.

(15)
Anonymous,
February 1, 2009 2:37 PM

Williamson is not a Bishop

Shmuel Rosner, whose blog can be found on the Jerusalem Post web site, sent questions about Williamson to "Rev. Fr. David-Maria Jaeger is a former pastor of St. John Neumann Catholic Church in Austin, Texas and served on the Tribunal for the Diocese of Austin and also a member of the Delegation of the Holy See on the Bilateral Permanent Working Commission between the Holy See and the State of Israel."
One answer, the last, says, in part, "Whether one fringe person, who cannot be considered a Catholic clergyman or even a Catholic in good standing at all...,". It seems Williamson was only a Bishop in Lefebvre's Church, not the Catholic Church headed by the Pope in Rome.
I was greatly disturbed by this entire affair before I read Rosner's blog entry. I am much less concerned now. My only concern is the poor communication job donee by the Vatican. They should have explained the situation before taking the action knowing what might be thought.

(14)
Anonymous,
February 1, 2009 2:29 PM

if you don't believe the Jews, believe the Germans

I understand that some anti-semites want to deny the Holocaust happened, and therefore don't believe Jewish sources. But what they are actually attacking is the orderly and meticulous record keeping of the Germans. Are they calling the Nazis liars and exaggerators? What do they have against them?!

(13)
PEGGY DONOGHUE,
February 1, 2009 1:53 PM

CHRISTIANS GRATEFUL TO THE JEWS

TO MY HORROR A FEW YEARS AGO MY JEWISH FRIEND TOLD ME HER FAMILY AND FRIENDS BELIEVE CHRISTIANS HATE JEWS AND DO NOT CARE WHAT HAPPENS TO ISRAEL. I TELL YOU THE TRUTH....I DON'T KNOW ANYONE IN MY CHURCH or GROUP OF FRIENDS WHO FEELS THAT WAY. WE LOVE AND RESPECT THE JEWS....JEWS GAVE US THE BIBLE AND SO MUCH MORE! JEWS HAVE CONTRIBUTED SO VERY MUCH GOOD TO OUR WORLD IN EVERY FIELD. PLEASE UNDERSTAND MANY, MANY CHRISTIANS DO NOT AGREE WITH THIS POPE.....or ANY POPE. SOME OF US ARE ACTUALLY WILLING TO RISK MUCH TO STAND WITH THE JEWS.

(12)
caryg,
February 1, 2009 12:23 PM

Catholic false prophets

I attended a Catholic funeral for my sister in law's father. I witnesses many statues and figurines as well as many images framed as paintings. These
"idols" seemed to play a large part of ceremony. Is that not idol worshiping? Does that not constitute an oposition to basic teachings of Christianity? Where did Catholicism begin and why? Is it really a cult of criminals and pedophiles according to court cases settled around the world in regards to molested children? Who in the h... are these egregous people to pass judgement
on any one? Especially the "chosen". Shame on them, the pope and his entire
clan of false prophets.
Regards
Cary

(11)
Anonymous,
February 1, 2009 11:27 AM

I am not a Jew and I am an atheist for want of a better discription also i was brought up as a Catholic. I hate the bloody Vatican and can't understand why the Jews would want to have anything to do with it.

(10)
Max Gersenson,
February 1, 2009 11:05 AM

The real truth is...

A document was discovered in Israel which proves that Jesus Christ was not Jewish (as previously claimed) and was killed in the 9/11 incident and will not be available for the Second Coming.

(9)
bruce,
February 1, 2009 10:11 AM

Who listens to the Pope?

You give more ear to the Pope and the deniers than anyone else that I know, and I'm a redneck hillbilly. As for the "money and political manipulation," that is present in Washington,Israel and worldwide. It should be condemned. The fact is that humankind is consumming our way into oblivion, and we need to unite against the destruction of our natural world before we all perish. Live simply so that others may simply live.

(8)
Anonymous,
February 1, 2009 10:00 AM

Catholic architects of the Holocaust

Hitler was a Catholic who never renounced his religion.
Himmler was a Catholic who never renounced his religion.
Neither was ever excommunicated.
Two Vatican Bishops -- Fr.Alois Hudal and Fr.Joseph Gallow -- were instrumental in enabling numerous Nazi war criminals (among them Mengele and Eichmann) to escape to South America. So why should we surprised at the Vatican's embrace of Holocaust denier Bishop Williamson?

(7)
Anonymous,
February 1, 2009 9:15 AM

Response to an idiot

The commentator of "Who is the Bishop" needs to be taught how to read. Prof.Lipstadt's CLEARLY names Bishop Williamson in the sixth paragraph of her article. The guy also comments "Some Jews nurture prejudices and conspiracy theories against Catholics." I don't know of any harm done by Jews to Catholics but I there is abundant evidence (admitted by Pope John XXIII) of the harm Catholics have done to Jews: i.e. Centuries of persecution from the Ghettoes (instituted by Catholics) to the Gas Chambers authorized by a Catholic who never renounced his religion -- Adolf Hitler and his followers many of who were Catholics and Protestants.

(6)
Joe Whitehead,
February 1, 2009 9:05 AM

Look for Liberal Israel to Back Down on this Issue

I'm waiting for the liberal Israeli government to back down on this issue under Quartet pressure just like it does on Jew-murdering terrorism. Saying in Quratet submission, "We'll give away massive portions of our ancient homeland to Jew-murdering Hamas and we'll even flood what's left with Muslims terrorist under the "Terrorist Right to Return" act! And to top it off you can keep your Holocasut denier that we'll now fully embrace with complete and full "normal" relations with the Jew-murdering, rat-line supporting Vatican!"

(5)
jamie,
February 1, 2009 8:41 AM

anon #2 do you read a newspaper?

The bishop's name is Richard Williamson and anyone who has read a paper the last few days would know that Prof Lipstadt isn't spreading rumor -- just the sad facts that have enraged the Jewish world, and have caused the Israeli govt to sever ties with the Vatican

(4)
Terry Legg,
February 1, 2009 8:40 AM

Read the Article

Anonymous read the article. It mentions the bishop (Williamson)by name. This has been in the major media as well as the Vatican news service. It does not take a moment to research a topic. It seems to take less time to condemn something without bothering to READ!

(3)
pierrette,
February 1, 2009 8:24 AM

what do you expect from a German Pope?

As a Catholic who has sadly watched my church through it's scandals with pedophilia, that has cost untold millions in reparation...I am now appalled at this latest promotion. The next thing we'll hear is that they have proclamed Mother Theresa a Saint!!
Oye Vey what's next? and where am I going to go to confess my sins (if I had any!)
No, the Jewish/Christian will not suffer because of it, for anyone with an ounce of sense will see it for the hypocrisy it is,as for the ones who approve, they shouldn't matter anyway.!
Pierrette.
author of "Le Café de Cadix"
A memoir of Algeria.

(2)
Anonymous,
February 1, 2009 8:17 AM

Who is the bishop?

I can't say whether this article is all factual or not, but the fact that the bishop wasn't named makes me wonder if the story is completely true or if it's some kind of garden-variety slander on the Vatican. Some Jews nurture prejudices and conspiracy theories against Catholics as much as many anti-Semites do about Jews. The fact that the author names no names, gives NONE of the specifics of the case, and refers to no documentation reduces her article to mere gossip. There may be something to the situation, or she may be parroting a distorted story from Time, the New York Times or some other source that tends not to get it right about the Vatican. Readers would be better served to know the specifics, so that the author's opinion can be examined against complete facts and on its merits, rather than just taking the form of a vague rumor.

(1)
Moshe Rosen,
February 1, 2009 8:00 AM

What planet is the Vatican on?

What planet or place in time is the Vatican staged on? Sounds like things have hardly changed with anti-Semitism. It's sad that people adhere to such twisted beliefs in insisting such falsehoods are true, rather than believing in the hope of Jewish survival, the truth of Torah, and B'nei Noach...The Vatican is delusional in false truths! They're starting to fit more in the same category as Hitler and Goebbles.

My Christian friends are always speaking about “faith.” To me this sounds a lot like blind faith. Is that really the essence of religion?

The Aish Rabbi Replies:

I'm afraid that this is another case of a Christian concept being mis-associated with Judaism.

Let's first define our terms. What is faith?

Webster defines faith as "Belief without proof."

What is knowledge? "An acquaintance with truth, facts or principles through study or investigation."

Faith is usually a product of desire. Have you ever gotten a tip on the market that guarantees you're going to triple your money in a month? A lot of smart people have gotten fleeced because they ignored the evidence and went with their feelings.

Knowledge, on the other hand, is based on evidence. We know there's a place called China because we have too many products in our house saying "made in China." There's a lot of evidence for the existence of China, even though most of us have never been there.

Judaism unequivocally comes down on the side of knowledge, not faith. In Deuteronomy 4:39, the Torah says: "You shall know this day, and understand it well in your heart, that the Almighty is God; in the heaven above and the earth below, there is none other." (This verse is also contained in the prayer, "Aleynu.")

This verse tells us that it is not enough to simply know in your head, intellectually, that God is the Controller of everything. You must know it in your heart! This knowledge is much more profound than an intellectual knowledge. God gave us a brain because he wants us to think rationally about the world, our role in it, and our relationship with God.

A conviction based on desire or feelings alone has no place in Judaism. The Hebrew word "emunah," which is often translated as faith, does not describe a conviction based on feelings or desire. It describes a conviction that is based on evidence.

Once this knowledge is internalized, it effects how a person lives. A person with this knowledge could transform every breathing moment into a mitzvah, for he would do everything for the sake of the heaven. But this is not a "knowledge," that comes easily. Only intensive Torah learning and doing mitzvahs can achieve this knowledge. Every word of Torah we learn moves us just a little bit closer to that goal. And everyone is capable of that.

To learn more, read "The Knowing Heart," by Rabbi Moshe Chaim Luzzatto (Feldheim.com). This entire book is an explanation of this verse!

In 350 BCE, the building of the second Holy Temple was completed in Jerusalem, as recorded in the biblical Book of Ezra (6:15). The re-building of the Temple had begun under Cyrus when the Persians first took over the Babylonian empire. The re-building was then interrupted for 18 years, and resumed with the blessing of Darius II, the Persian king whom is said to be the son of Esther. The Second Temple lacked much of the glory of the First Temple: There was no Ark of the Covenant, and the daily miracles and prophets were no longer part of the scenery. The Second Temple would stand for 420 years, before being destroyed by the Romans in 70 CE.

You shall know this day and consider it within your heart(Deuteronomy 4:39).

Business people who are involved in many transactions employ accountants to analyze their operations and to determine whether or not they are profitable. They may also seek the help of experts to determine which products are making money and which are losing. Such studies allow them to maximize their profits and minimize their losses. Without such data, they might be doing a great deal of business, but discover at the end of the year that their expenditures exceeded their earnings.

Sensible people give at least as much thought to the quality and achievement of their lives as they do to their businesses. Each asks himself, "Where am I going with my life? What am I doing that is of value? In what ways am I gaining and improving? And which practices should I increase, and which should I eliminate?"

Few people make such reckonings. Many of those that do, do so on their own, without consulting an expert's opinion. These same people would not think of being their own business analysts and accountants, and they readily pay large sums of money to engage highly qualified experts in these fields.

Jewish ethical works urge us to regularly undergo cheshbon hanefesh, a personal accounting. We would be foolish to approach this accounting of our very lives with any less seriousness than we do our business affairs. We should seek out the "spiritual C.P.A.s," those who have expertise in spiritual guidance, to help us in our analyses.

Today I shall...

look for competent guidance in doing a personal moral inventory and in planning my future.

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